CHAPTER XXVII.

How Sir Otto broke the Mirror, and the Castle was consumed by Fire.

After this time all the three knights came almost every evening to the watch-tower of Hildiridur; and meanwhile the pagans never ventured any new attack. Sir Otto had not met again with his half-brother, Ottur, whom he would now have gladly seen; nor could the sea-monarch obtain any intelligence of his cousin, Sir Kolbein. They could almost have wished that Gerda’s enchantments had incited the people to some new conflict, in order that they might have beheld again these two deluded and unfortunate youths; but it seemed as if the fires both of love and hatred were now quite extinguished among the inhabitants beyond the Finland frontiers. Meanwhile the brave Swerker listened with deep attention to all the lessons of Sir Otto; and after maintaining as well as he could the doctrines of Odin and Valhalla, he became at last a sincere convert to the Christian faith, confessing that this afforded the only path to happiness both for this world and the next. Hereupon the knights consoled themselves for the loss of Ottur and Sir Kolbein, and rejoiced that they had won at last one brave and heroic heart for the true and only religion.

But, during this life of repose and peace, the recollection of his lost Gabrielle had again awoke in Sir Otto’s heart; and as he concealed this grief from his companions, and even from Hildiridur, it increased by degrees every day, till with this also was joined bitter discontent and repining at the misfortunes of his parents, by which his early life had been darkened, and by which he believed that he had himself incurred distress, from which the guidance of a loving mother might have protected him. Oftentimes he now rode alone into the wide forest, far beyond the Finland boundaries, partly because he was willing to brave every danger for the sake of meeting his half-brother, Ottur, and partly driven on by his own restless thoughts; so that he oftentimes arrived very late at the moonlighted castle of Hildiridur, long after Sir Arinbiorn and Sir Heerdegen had taken their places at the round marble table.

One evening, it happened that he had thus returned late from the forest, and having rode very rapidly, his discontent, instead of being wearied out as heretofore, preyed more fiercely than ever on his heart. Then, as he ascended the staircase alone, and came along and angrily through the vaulted passages into the apartment where the mirror hung, beneath its dark-red curtain, the thought came on his mind with resistless force, that he must this night destroy utterly and for ever, by one powerful blow, that enchanted glass which had been the cause of so much misfortune. “Come forth then, old comrade!” said he to his sword; “thou hast yet to compensate for the fears which thou inspired’st in my mother’s heart, when thou wert raised threateningly against her life in the forest. Now, then, fulfil my just vengeance on this delusive and fatal mirror!” In the same moment the sword gleamed in the youth’s hand; he struck with it vehemently against the purple curtain, and after a few blows, the floor glittered all around him with the wreck of the broken glass.

Now a fearful clap of thunder rolled over the castle, whereat its walls were shaken as by an earthquake. From the vaulted dungeons beneath were heard deep hollow groans, and over the roof wailing voices of terror and lamentation. Pale and anxious, Hildiridur, Arinbiorn, and Heerdegen, rushed into the apartment, where they found Sir Otto standing with his hair dishevelled, and staring wildly at the fragments that lay around him. “That I have broken the enchanted mirror,” said Sir Otto, pointing to the torn curtain that now fluttered in the wind,--“of this I repent not; but rather triumph over what I have done. Yet still the thought, that, perhaps at the moment when by my hand it was thus shivered into pieces, the beautiful image of Bertha floated thereon; and the sight that here distracts me, since from every one of these glittering fragments her features are now mournfully smiling upon me,--this indeed is cause for regret and repentance! For God’s sake, dearest mother, tell me whether my fate even now has not been like that of the stern Sir Hugur? Have I not indeed rashly slain her who was dearer to me than all the world? And was it not with this very sword (instead of a javelin, as I had been told) that he put to death the beautiful Astrid?”

Sir Otto scarcely knew what he uttered, as the voices over the roof of the castle became wilder and wilder. There was a noise, too, as if from the fluttering of invisible wings through the chamber, and Hildiridur hid her face in her long green veil. “Lose not a moment,” said she to Sir Heerdegen and the sea-monarch, “but lead your brave comrade out of these now ruinous chambers. If he be not immediately removed from hence, madness will incurably settle on his brain.” The two knights immediately obeyed her commands. They led, or rather forced by violence, the unfortunate Sir Otto through the gallery and the winding staircase, the lady still bearing them company. On arriving at the portal, they heard the thunder still rolling over the castle, and the continued voices of lamentation. The faithful war-steeds came up snorting and prancing in their terror; they mounted them immediately, and rode away from the mysterious watch-tower.

Ere long they had arrived at a narrow, but pleasant valley, encircled by thickets of alder and hazel, which now lay bathed in dew and sleeping in the moonlight. Here they pulled up the reins, and tried to recover from their distraction of spirit. Their horses too began to feed peaceably on the tall grass and clover, though from a distance they still heard, borne on the night-wind, the thunder and shrilling cries from the castle.

In the full clear light of the moon, Hildiridur now came up with them, threw back the green veil from her features, and said, “We have fortunately escaped from great and threatening danger, and for this you should humbly give thanks to the Giver of all Good.” At these words they all kneeled down upon the dewy grass, Sir Otto not excepted (for he had now become quite calm), and prayed earnestly, though without audible words, till at length Hildiridur rose, and turned solemnly towards the Knight of Trautwangen. “Shall I reproach you,” said she; “or shall I not rather be thankful that you have thus broken and destroyed my potent spells, and set me at variance for ever with those spirits who have hitherto proved but deceitful and treacherous servants? In truth, I do sincerely thank you, dearest Otto,” added she, embracing him; “you have acted but from impulses the most pure and virtuous; and if your mother is thereby rendered less powerful, yet she becomes only more surely and devotedly your loving parent. As to my powers, as an enchantress, they are now for ever at an end;--in order to regain them, I would have to climb up with indescribable toil and labour to a height whereon, but half an hour since, I stood quietly, wielding unresisted sway.”

Hereupon Sir Otto and Sir Heerdegen of Lichtenried both expressed their contentment and joy; but the sea-monarch stood gloomy and lost in deep thought. At last, “Who then,” said he, “may in times to come hope to wield enchanted weapons against the golden-haired Gerda, with her fiery serpents? As for the javelins of her fierce Finlanders, we value them not, for we ourselves have swords and spears that are as powerful; but who will now protect us from her horrid ghosts and apparitions, at which the stoutest warrior feels his heart chilled within him?” “Be unconcerned,” answered Hildiridur; “so much of supernatural knowledge still remains to me, that I well know what has passed in Finland. The pagan rebels have submitted peaceably to remain, defeated as they were, in their present state, while Gerda, together with Ottur and Sir Kolbein, have, in their wild wrath, gone forth across the seas, in order to war against the Christians in foreign lands. You will find an embassy already despatched with this intelligence to your camp; and a free choice is before you, whether you will go with me to the ancient fortress of Trautwangen, whither I am attracted by an irresistible longing, or pursue your way on farther campaigns through the world. But, for the present, let us hasten on our flight farther from the watch-tower. Methinks I already see the enraged spirits stretching out their fiery tongues from every window and loop-hole.” Hereupon Sir Otto assisted Hildiridur to take her place behind him on his faithful steed, which neighed as if in joy and triumph, and henceforth moved along more softly and carefully than was his wont through the rocky valleys. After they had gone about a mile from the castle, a frightful thunderclap, with a burst of sulphureous flames, announced to them its utter destruction.

When they drew near to the camp, Swerker came forward to meet them, bearing a peace-embassy from the Finlanders. After a few short hours of repose, the whole troop set out on their way, amid the long slanting gleams of the morning sun, singing their choral anthems, that reverberated far and wide amid the rocky mountains. Sir Otto had provided for Hildiridur a handsome palfrey, and now rode with her in the van, carefully guiding her horse with a leading rein; Montfaucon’s noble falcon perched on his left hand, and attended by Sir Arinbiorn and Sir Heerdegen, one on each side. “For some time at least we shall all remain together,” said the sea-monarch; and a discourse was begun touching their future prospects, when Heerdegen added thereto,--“Ay, surely;--for my own part at least, I think to go through Germany into France, in order to bring home from thence my sister Bertha.” At these words a deep blush came over Sir Otto’s cheeks; “I would beg you to salute her for me,” said he; “but, alas! I am unworthy of her remembrance.” Thereupon Sir Heerdegen, silently indeed, but kindly, gave him his hand, and at that moment a gleam of the morning sunlight broke from a cloud so beautifully over the fresh and fragrant landscape, that it seemed to every heart like a promise of the happiness and blessings that were yet in store for them.

END OF VOL. II.

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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE:

Punctuation errors and printing mistakes such as obviously missing letters have been silently fixed. Spelling and hyphenation in common use at the time of publication have been kept as is. Instances of the same word differing in hyphenation have in most cases been changed to match the majority variant, or using information from other sources.

Volume number added under “The Magic Ring”, before first chapter.

In addition, the following changes have been made: p.41 Blanehefleur to Blanchefleur p.201 mne to mine p.274 dsiguised to disguised p.339 Christain to Christian

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.